Best Espresso Machines Under 200

No, you don’t always have to shell out the big bucks for a great cup of coffee. And as we all know, the base of any great cup of coffee is an even greater espresso. You can have it if you want, and right in your home too! Yes, we couldn’t be more excited. 

Buckle down because we’ve curated a list of the best espresso machines under $200 for you. You read that right under $200. We know what you must be thinking. How can even the best home espresso machines under 200 compare to store-bought coffee? Fear not, because these espresso makers are some of the best on the market, and really, the only difference between them and the ones baristas use is, well, they’re smaller. 

This makes it perfect for home use. Imagine sitting and sipping on fabulous brews in your jammies. But there’s more news. Some of these are the best espresso machines under $150! Did your face just light up? We know how you feel. Understandably, not everyone has money to throw around on big, fancy coffee machines, and this is why this list is perfect for you. 

Yes, we do mean perfect. Not only is this a well-researched list to cater to your every coffee-related need, but we also have listed out some things that you should keep in mind when you’re buying one of these mean machines. It’s fairly simple. Don’t deep-dive without knowing where the bottom is.

We’re sure you’re already fairly convinced. For that little extra push, scroll down. Go on. We’re not lying; we swear! 

Best Espresso Machines Under 200 Comparison 2024

  • Best for First-time: No products found.
  • Best for Easy-to-use: No products found.
  • Best for Manual machine: No products found.

How Was This List Made?

You won’t need to go around looking for a second opinion on our word. We’ve done that for you. This isn’t just what we think. This is what every user who has ever used this product thinks. If anything, our research is extensive. We went through Amazon reviews of every product listed below. And we mean every review. 

Then, just to make extra sure, we followed it up by going through Quora answers. And YouTube videos. And the comments on them. No, really, we went the whole hog. 

If that doesn’t convince you, little else will. So trust us when we say we’ve done our homework. 

Best Espresso Machines Under $200

Breville-Nespresso USA BNV420SIL1BUC1 VertuoPlus Coffee

No products found.

Want something that looks sleek, modern, and straight out of a café for your kitchen? You’ve found your match. This espresso maker gives you the best of the best, all at the touch of a single button. That’s right, and this means it’s a little too easy to use. The patented centrifugation technology this capsule system uses blends ground coffee with water, producing the best-tasting cup of coffee you could ever imagine. 

With a removable water tank that is super easy to fill, this espresso machine also heats up in all 20-25 seconds. This means you can get to your cup of coffee almost instantly. After 9 minutes of inactivity, it shuts off by itself. It also comes with an Aeroccino to take care of your milk-frothing woes. What a gift, yeah?

This coffee machine can very conveniently make up to five different cup sizes. Not only will you be assured great coffee, but you have absolute control over what size you want. A barcode on the rim allows it to recognize every Grand Cru while brewing, and the parameters are adjusted based on the choice of your Grand Cru. A win for technology and your first cup in the morning? Hell yeah!

Again, our problem with this is not the actual machine but the pods, which can be hard to get, but if you buy them in bulk on Amazon, you’re pretty sorted. Another thing to keep in mind is the heating. Since it heats the water so fast, sometimes, it’s not warm enough. But that’s about it.

Pros

  • Smart design
  • Great capacity
  • Patented centrifugation technology

Cons

  • Has some problems with heating water
  • Pods aren’t easily available

Verdict: If you’re looking for a good-looking machine that serves all your single-serve purposes, this is the one for you. The complaints are few and far between. We do believe the pros outweigh the cons with this one.

Nespresso by De’Longhi ENV150R VertuoPlus Coffee

No products found.

Everyone knows that in the coffee world, De’Longhi is king, and this is their best budget offering. A little shy of $200 (which we think is a great deal), this espresso maker comes with a pressure pump that is as powerful as 19 bars. Yes, you’ll get a café grade coffee right in your kitchen. 

Not only is it super-efficient (it can heat in as less as 25 seconds), but it also has an energy-saving feature. It switches off automatically in 9 minutes, so it doesn’t consume a lot of energy. This one too, is extremely easy to use, with two buttons, one of which allows you to decide the size of your drink. There’s a bonus here! If your heart desires iced coffee, this espresso maker delivers on that too. Amazing, we know. 

But wait, there’s more. This espresso machine has red backlights to let you know when the water is at capacity. Suave, right? The capacity also ain’t bad. A total of 60 ounces. 

The only drawbacks are that the water tank needs to be refilled quite often. And the fact that if you want to froth your milk, you’ll have to buy the Aeroccino separately. You also need to use Nespresso pods with this. But that should hardly dissuade you, given what an ace machine this is. Bonus: it comes with its very own welcome kit!

Pros

  • Smart design
  • Very easy to use
  • Professional grade coffee

Cons

  • Have to buy Aeroccino separately
  • The water tank needs to be frequently refilled

Verdict: You can never go wrong with a De’Longhi. And this is their best budget option sans the milk frother. It looks very attractive and should be a worthy addition to your kitchen.

Sowtech 3.5 Bar 4 Cup Espresso Maker

No products found.

Looking for something small and really easy to use? Look no further. This espresso machine with a pressure pump of 3.5 bars makes a great, rich cup of coffee. It comes with a marked cup, so you know exactly how much to pour each time for the best results. Armed with accurate temperature control, this truly provides all it sets out to do.

A single switch knob with a light indicator makes it user-friendly. There’s a button marked for on/off and one for a coffee or steam selector, so you really can’t mess up with this one. This is one of the best espresso machines under $150, and it’s idiot-proof! What more could you want?

With a compact stainless steel body, it’s small and light, so you don’t have to worry about it taking up too much space. The washable drip catcher that comes with it also aids in keeping your countertop clean. And yes, in case you’re wondering, it does come with a foam wand! You can froth and foam away all you want now! 

Perhaps the only drawback we noticed with this one is that overuse may cause it to burn slightly. And we don’t mean you can’t use it every day, just not for a very long period at once. Given that it has up to a 4-cup capacity, we’d suggest sticking to it.

Pros

  • Budget buy
  • Very easy to use
  • Foaming wand Compact design

Cons

  • It may burn if used for a long time at once
  • The foaming wand may be slightly difficult to use

Verdict: For an espresso machine that is under $150, this one is worth every penny. It gives you all the advantages of a high-end product at a fraction of the cost. Super convenient and quite durable, we say go for it.

NESCAFÉ Dolce Gusto Coffee Machine, Genio 2

No products found.

This automatic capsule espresso machine is as compact as they come. For all your single-cup needs, this is truly the answer. The Nescafe Dolce Gusto Coffee machine will serve you coffee house realness. We mean it. This espresso maker makes a lot more than just espressos, all at a reasonable cost. There are 15 flavors to choose from, no joke! 

The 15 bars pressure pump allows for a high level of coffee extraction, making sure that the flavors and aromas are all nothing but the best. This also ensures that the quality of each cup is consistent. A jack of all trades, this espresso maker also allows you to brew cold brews. Honestly, asking for more at this point would just be greedy, no? 

If you’re worried about how difficult it is to use, don’t waste your breath. This espresso maker comes with an LED screen and a toggle stick, so you can adjust temperatures, too hot or cold, and be mindful of what you’re doing at the same time. Could it be any easier? We think not. The sealed capsule makes sure that none of the aromas is lost and the freshness is intact. 

Our only complaint—and we do mean only—with this one is the unavailability of coffee pods to use with it. It’s not even the machine!  But if you want us to go after the machine, we’d say the water tray is slightly difficult to pull out. Hardly a deal-breaker, you know what we mean?

Pros

  • 15 bar pressure pump
  • Compact design
  • Several flavors of coffee
  • Easy to use

Cons

  • Unavailability of pods
  • Water tray is difficult to pull out

Verdict: As you may have noticed, we had a really tough time picking this one apart. Not only is it sleek and easy to use, but it also serves a delightful variety of coffee. Is it going to be worth the buy? We think so.

Mr. Coffee Automatic Dual Shot

No products found.

Another great one under $150! This one is manual. Given that this machine has a 15-bar high-pressure pump, you can rest assured that this brew is going to be of good quality. 

Our favorite feature of this espresso maker is the double-shot brewing. Yes, it makes 2 shots at a single time. So, you can share a cup with your partner instantly if you need to add milk to your espresso and make it a latte. No problem! Just use the frothing arm and froth milk instantly.

The drip tray is detachable, which makes cleaning (whatever little of it is required) extremely easy. And a clean machine is a mean machine. Erm, mean in a good way. Also, the front of this one has a thermal block heating system. which means it gets heated up really fast. 

Super compact and sleek, it’ll look good on any kitchen counter. And don’t forget, much simple to use. It has indicators to tell you when it is brewed ready or is ready to steam milk.

Not to forget, it has a 40-ounce capacity. And given the price, we do believe this one is an absolute steal.

Pros

  • 15 bar pressure pump
  • Compact design
  • Budget buy

Cons

  • Manual setting
  • Manual milk frother

Verdict: Honestly, at this price, we’d say don’t think twice about it. And it’s not just us, and it comes with glowing reviews from all its users. So, what are you waiting for?

A Buyer’s Guide

espresso machines under 200

Still stressing over the purchase? Hold up because we’ve got good news. That’s right, and we’ll tell you the specific things you ought to keep in mind when you’re out to get a good coffee machine. 

With our comprehensive list of things to look out for when you’re buying the best espresso machines under $200, we’ve practically run the race for you. It’s not jargon. We won’t put you through that. 

Read on to find out what specific things you should keep an eye on while buying your espresso maker.

Size

This is the first thing to consider, especially if you’re buying one for home use. All kitchens aren’t elaborate and expansive. Keeping that in mind, you need to decide how big you want your espresso maker to be. Countertop space is key. And we don’t want you to be shortchanged for space. Even though this is a machine you’ll be using every day, we still think it would be better if it didn’t hog all your countertop space. However, some espresso machines come with extra useful features that may make the space it takes worth it. Still, you’ll need room for your other appliances. 

Durability

A lot of high-end machines come with warranties which might give you an idea of how long the machine can last smoothly with no outside help. That said, the build of the machine is also really important. 

A lot of the time, the materials of the parts are such that they cannot help but succumb to wear and tear. But that’s not a bad thing, given that parts of espresso makers are also sold separately sometimes. All you need to do then is replace them. Easy peasy lemon squeezy!

Ease of Cleaning

espresso machines under 200

If it’s something you’re going to use every single day, it needs to be cleaned. If you’re going to use it once in a while, then, too, it’ll need cleaning. After all, all the gathered dust must go. 

A model that is super easy to use but not so much to clean isn’t convenient. You’re back to square one. To avoid that, look into how many parts there are to the machine, so you know what has to be removed and cleaned separately. 

This way, you’ll know whether the process is super hands-on or not, and if you’re, erm, lazy, you can just choose one that isn’t! Depending on how much time you can afford to put aside just for the cleaning process, you need to make sure how easy an espresso maker is to clean. 

Manual vs Semi-Automatic vs Super-Automatic

A manual espresso maker requires a little bit of work. The reason it’s not all bad is that it gives you complete control over the entire brewing process. If you have time to spare, a manual espresso maker isn’t a bad idea. Although the units tend to be slightly expensive, they’re an attractive appliance to have in your kitchen. 

Semi-automatic espresso machines come with electric pumps. This means that you still retain some of the control of a manual espresso machine, but these are much easier (and faster) to use. These are perhaps the most popular models, although sometimes they can cost a bit much.

Automatic and super-automatic espresso machines take more control out of your hands. But what this means is that they’re supremely easy to use. As easy as adding your coffee grinds in and pushing a button. If you want all the work done for you, this kind is your best bet. 

Ease of Use

This is entirely dependent on you. You may have an idea by now of what ‘ease of use’ may mean. It’s not just how easily you can get the espresso maker to function while you’re brewing a cup but also the cleaning process afterward. 

And depending on what kind of a model you want to use and the kind of control it gives you, you can choose a manual, semi or super-automatic machine. The lesser there are programmable settings, the easier it is to use. That’s all there is to it!

Conclusion

And that’s all with espresso machines under $200. Not only are these some of the best espresso machines under $200, but some of them are the best espresso machines under $150! Double whammy! 

For our suggested budget buy (but really, all of them are budget), we say try the Sowtech 3.5 Bar 4 Cup, Espresso Maker.  It is compact, looks cute as hell, and does what it sets out to do. 

If you want to try something closer to the $200 mark, we say go for the Nespresso by De’Longhi ENV150R VertuoPlus Coffee and Espresso Machine. We’ve sung enough praises and believe there’s no need to convince you anymore. You can never go wrong with a De’Longhi. 

All said and done, every espresso machine on the list is worth checking out. Like with absolutely all machines, they have a few drawbacks. But that’s a trade-off we believe you’d be willing to make. You win some, you lose some, eh? You won’t lose with these, that we promise. 

Our very comprehensive list of what to look out for has, we believe, equipped you to make a very informed decision now. So what’s the wait for? Shop away!

Leave a Comment